Thank you for praying...

Hello all. Thank you all for the prayers over the past few days. First off, Elijah is fine! I mean, he still has bronchitis but it didn't turn to pneumonia so we are so thankful! Second, I'm feeling better everyday, just not back to normal. Still rejoicing in God's goodness. It's good training and it's a good reminder that this is what it's all about!

God's Precious Goodness...Pt. 2

Lots going on in the Irby household. This time, with this little guy: Sweet Elijah William has not had the easiest month. While in Budapest he broke his collar bone while walking a dog. The dog ran after another dog and took Elijah with him. He was very brave during the whole thing (he said he wants to be a knight!) but no doubt, it was very painful for him. His collar bone is all healed and aside from a small scar from where the doctor accidentally cut him while removing his bandage, you would never know he had an injury. On Friday he woke with a fever and a bad cough. I have been battling bronchitis this past week so it alarmed us. After taking him to the doctor, he was diagnosed with bronchitis. All weekend we have been treating him appropriately. Antibiotics, a syrup to ease his cough, nose drops and spray, Advil for fever, probiotic for belly ache and breathing treatments every 2 hours. I went with him this morning to the doctor for a follow up visit and there is more fluid in his little body than before. She prescribed him another syrup to get the fluid out. She said that if it's not out by Tuesday then he needs an x-ray. Josh and I had planned to go to Albania tomorrow through Wednesday to attend a conference with our fellow Albanian co workers. I'm not going for obvious reasons. The sweetest thing was the ride home from the doctor's office. "Uncle Seff"'s and the CSU worship team's CD was playing in the car. Elijah was singing as loud as he could through that stuffy nose "Ooohhh, the goodness of God, is flooding my heart with peeeeeace! Oooohhh the goodness of God, is bringing me to my kneeeees!" Sweet boy, during a breathing treatment. We would appreciate all prayers during this! I was thinking while driving to the doctor who now I know so well (it's true, with 3 kids you are at the doc a lot!) This is not what I was THINKING I was signing up for when becoming a Mommy...but it is the REALITY of what I signed up for when becoming a Mommy! This is the WORK of a mom. I love my sweet children. It is sweet to hold my little boy and we have our special time together reading Magic Tree House while he receives breathing treatments. I. Take. Joy.

God's Precious Goodness

It has been a very long time since I last wrote on Irby Road. There has been a lot going on, I just haven't felt the need to write it on here. But I felt a need last night to communicate what happened. To communicate God's faithfulness and goodness in the midst of uncertainty is what this post is about.

This is our precious Adeline Faith. Last night after a walk in town I arrived at home with all three children. I put Adeline in her crib and gave Israel and Elijah a bath. While blow drying Israel's hair I heard a loud slam followed by a scream and then a cry. Israel and I both rushed into the nursery to find Adeline on her back screaming on the hardwood floor. "no God, please God, no God, please God..." I have no idea how it happened. She's only 7 months old but found her way up over the crib. "Do I pick her up? Is it okay?" went through my head. I decided to pick her up but was terrified of injuring her. She was very lethargic at this point and I tried to nurse her. She wouldn't nurse. Then she threw up and tried to fall asleep. Josh was at a meeting and I called him. No answer. Called again. busy. "Please God please God please God..." As I was crying and basically freaking out, I realized the effect it was having on my children, mostly Israel (age 6) who was sobbing. After finally getting in touch with Josh (who ran home) and Jill (who came with her husband Larry to stay with our kids so we could go to the hospital) I sat down with Israel and Elijah. I told them we needed to pray. Israel told me she was already praying. We then decided to pray together. That prayer time was incredible. We lifted our voices to Jesus to ask for healing and protection for little Addie. We prayed that He would give us peace. I heard from God in that moment that I needed to choose to trust in His goodness and trust His plan for Adeline's life...whatever that may hold. I was able to calm down after the choice to trust. The difficult choice was to accept God's good and perfect will for Adeline's life. After Josh and Jill and Larry arrived, Josh and I took Adeline to the hospital. Our friend Karmen met us there to help us translate. The whole way to the hospital while trying to keep Adeline awake Josh and I prayed specific prayers: That Adeline would be able to share her story one day of God's protection, that we would be seen by doctors who care and that we could trust. Adeline was seen almost right away. As soon as we put her on the examination table, she laughed! She woke from her drowsiness and was very happy...what a good sign! The doctors said everything looks "potpuno ok" (absolutely fine) and sent us to a neurologist to be sure. After being told to come home and monitor her all night, we arrived home, exhausted. But very happy and very thankful and trusting God's goodness. We continue to believe in the goodness of God even when our lives scream otherwise. God answered all our prayers this time in the way we wished. We had wonderful doctors who truly cared and were very good. We even got a parking spot right by the door! (If you know Kosevo hospital in Sarajevo, that is huge in itself) I'm looking right now at a happy, cheerful Adeline. My heart rejoices. And yes, for those wondering...we lowered the crib two notches :) THank you for all who prayed last night (for those who knew) We are very grateful.

Life is FULL!

Wow. Guys I'm seriously behind on blogging. So much has happened!
We are praising God for providing our newest blessing, Adeline Faith, born October 14, 2 days after Elijah's fourth birthday :)



We had a wonderful time in Budapest, staying with our dear friends the Sanders. We spent almost a month in the Sanders' home and taking in their wonderful hospitality. It was truly a blessed time. The labor and delivery were very fast and we had a wonderful experience! Adeline is simply beautiful and such a calm baby.We are so thankful for her. We had a very time leaving their home as their family became like our own. We miss them daily!

Since leaving, the Sanders' oldest son Luke (20 years old and studying in the US) was seriously injured falling from a high rope swing, and remains in ICU with bleeding in his brain. Please pray for Luke. You can follow his journey here

As for our family, we are gearing up for Christmas. The kids and I are doing an advent experience using Amanda White of Impress Your Kids "Truth in the Tinsel". It has gone great so far! As I type, the kids are playing with their nativity set. Let me just put it this way: I'm glad we have a wooden set! :)

Josh's book was released in September....check it out!

That's all for now...must go and play with the kiddos!

New Life...

For those of you who do not know already, the Irbys are expecting a little Irby to join soon! Baby number 3 (or should I say 4 since God took Little One to be with Him?) should arrive around October 19 in Budapest, Hungary. We have found a hospital there who takes our insurance, which is a huge relief. We are so excited to welcome this newbie to the Irby family! Israel and Elijah are excited...they can tell you themselves:



So cute! We are to thankful to have all of you who have prayed and supported us these past few months. And for those of you going through pregnancy loss, I can honestly say that God is faithful to redeem the pain and loss you are experiencing. When you are going through it it feels like you will never see the light at the end, but even the dark is not dark to God and He is with you. I never felt Him leave.

Josh's mom will come for a visit on Tuesday May 3 and will be with us for 2 weeks. We are grateful when family and friends come see where we live and we can spend time with them. This is Dea's first time in Sarajevo...so exciting!

Will update more later...

In Need of Grace

On a beautiful spring day, full of life and love, I am in need of grace. I have done it again. Messed up and lost patience with my children. Acted crabby, blamed it on chronic pain...difficult to live through but isn't God's grace greater? Scared my children will stumble in darkness because of my flaws in parenting.

But oh the glorious riches of grace! Of a God who can erase bad memories, empower for better living, "present us holy in His sight, without blemish..." (Col. 1) I'm so thankful for this promise. Once, I was alienated from God and made an enemy in my mind because of my evil behavior but now He has reconciled me by Christ's physical body to present ME (! EVEN ME!) holy in His sight, without blemish and FREE FROM ALL ACCUSATION!!!" (Col. 1) I'm so thankful for that. I am free from all accusation. Not only free from the enemy's accusations but free from my own accusations of myself!

So now I can enter this beautiful spring day. Full of sunlight, full of truth, full of confidence in the God who loved me while I was still a sinner....

Sun is Shining and so is Sarajevo!

Sorry it has been a while, folks. We have had a very long winter with snow last week. I was feeling the depression set in, but Spring is (finally!) here complete with beautiful sunshine, birds chirping and flowers starting to bud!

Last week we enjoyed a beautiful time together as a long term team (Jacksons, Troudsdales, Ceca and us) on Jahorina mountain with Rachel's dad who led us in a day of team building. We discovered our strengths and learned a lot about each other. The time was very beneficial. Rachel's dad has worked on teams for a number of years, so he is highly qualified in leading these discussions.

The kids are fully settled in their vrtic now and loving it. It's so fun to see them interact with their classmates and teachers. They are speaking a little Bosnian too. We are very encouraged.

One of my favorite things about spring here is going into town as a family. On Monday and Thursday nights, Israel has ballet downtown, so typically when the weather is nice, we walk into town as a family, get something to eat and chat with our friend Dzenana who owns a clothing store in town. I'm excited as this season is coming back around.

Josh enjoyed six days in Split, Croatia on a writing retreat where he got a lot done. Please continue to pray for Josh as he finishes his book about Miss Adeline P. Irby. He has only 3 chapters left to write! Then will start the long process of editing (which has already begun for the portions edit-ready) and then publishing. We are really excited about this opportunity to connect even more with this city we have come to love, Sarajevo!

Homeschool has slowed down a bit since the kids started vrtic. Before vrtic, I would do homeschool with them almost every day. Israel has started to read some basic words, and Elijah knows almost all his letters. But since vrtic started, neither them nor I want to do any homeschool, we just want to play :) We'll see when we pick back up with it, but I'm not worried since they are still really young.

Hope your start to spring is enjoyable! Let us know how you are doing :)